Machinery for preparing textile fibers



Dec. 21 ,1926.

M. F. THOMA MACHINERY FOR PREPARING TEXTILE FIBER 5 Filed April 1'7 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 'l m'aZFZZa/we Wig Dec. 21,1926. 1,611,696

M. F. THOMA MACHINERY FOR PREPARING TEXTILE FIBERS Filed April 17 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 2 1, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT orncs/ MEINRAD F. THOM A, OF GHENT, BELGIUM.

MACHINERY FOR PREPARING TEXTILE FIBERS.

Application filed April '17, 1926. Serial No. 102,787.

This invention is particularly applicable to the means for feeding fibers into carding engines, openers, scutchers and the like,

The principal object of this invention is to provide effective means whereby the cotton or other fiber being directed to the carding or other\ cylinders will be divested of a maximum amount of its impurities such as motes, shale, husks, and broken seeds, and at the sametime retaining nearly all the fibers which are long enough for spinning. The practice heretofore has been .to attempt to do this, but the best machines resulted ina material waste of the fibers by expelling them ling the air currents produced by the ordinary licker in or equivalent cylinder, and

while providing outlets for them which permit of the discharge of the impurities with them, also taking back into the machine "a currentof air close to the surface of the licker-in compressing it to. produce a swifter current, and then expelling it gently so asto take out the finer impurities after the coarser ones are removed. I I

The invention also involves improvements in details of construction of the mechanism for accomplishing these last mentioned results, including special perforated plates under the discharge side of the licker-in and the further provision of means for retaining the fibers along the surfaces of the card itself so that they will'not be wasted, but permitting impurities to be discharged all alongthe lower side thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the cylinder of a card and its feeding-in mechanism shown with a preferred form of this invention to illustrate their relationshipto each other;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a similar nature showing principally the licker-in and the features of this invention which are associated therewith;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the concave guard plate which is located along the lower delivery side (if the licker-in; and

Fig. 4 is a'fragmentary plan of the same on reduced scale.

In the feeding of cotton or other fibers to a card or similar machine, the layer of fibers which have been matted together reviously, is fed along a table 10 to a feeding roll 11 and the'fibers are taken up b the licker-in 12 having numerous teeth on its surface and which rotates in the direction of the arrows in the drawings. This takes the material to the cylinder 13 which removes the fibers and performs its usual. functions.

The licker-in rotates at a high enough speed so that its teeth create currents of air, which to the best ,of my information have never been taken proper care of for -the purposes I have mentioned above. It has been common to place a bar of triangular cross section in a position to co-operate with the licker-in and grid for the general purpose of removing impurities, but it has had the effect that a large quantity of fibers, good for spinning, are removed by it and become waste so that they are lost for further treatment, As stated above, this invention is designed to reduce the loss by a very material percentage and at the same time produce a cleaner cotton or other material at the cylinder 13 itself. I do not necessarily make any change in the parts that have been referred to by numerals above. They work in the usual way.

For the purpose of gently directing the air away from the licker-in 12, I have pro vided two deflectors 14 and 15. These are shown mounted on plates 16 on the two sides of the machine, these plates being adjustable about pivots 9 on plates 8 which canbe adjusted horizontally. They are secured in adjusted positions by bolts 17 and 17 and slots 18 and 18 in fixed plates 7 on the two sides of the machine. tors 14 and 15 is mounted to be adjusted Each of the defiec- I sidewise by screws 19. These screws are air-,aaje. ,oompressed in the throat 25 and Theylextend all the way across the ma-* chine and provide two passages 21 and 22 through which the currents of air can pass from the licker-in and escape toward the bottom of the machine.- These currents of air carry with them most of the heavier particles that are mixed with the cotton or of other fiber, dropping into the waste box below, not shown}, These-dcflectors are adjusted to the most efiicient position by experiment.

The action is to allow many heavy particles to be separated from the fiber and yet not provide wide .enough spaces between the deflectors to permit very long fibers to be discharged in any great numbers. On account of this, more than the usual number of the long fibers that can be used in spinning are retained on the licker-in up to the space 23.

From this oint 'on the action is of a somewhat di erent character. Instead of providing for the expelling of the air I provide for inducing air currents from the space 25 into, the passage between the surface of the licker-in and a plate 24.- preferabl of sheetnietal. This plate is so located an shaped" that it leaves a wide throat 25 betweenfa'flat surface 26 thereon and the surfaoe of the licker-in capable of admitting currents .of air in the direction of the arrows. These currents are caused by the .rotation ofthe licker-in which takes t em-Yfrom'any available source and carries them-along with it. The currents of in a narrowing space 27 which is located between-the licker-in and a curved surface 28 extending from the wall 26 to the end of i the sheet metal plate 24. This curvature adually converges toward the points of te teeth of the licker-in. Therefore, the

- currents of air which enter the throat 25 have no point'of egress along the top of this ihg space all the way along. Therefore late 24, but they are forced into a narrowthey are compressed and the rapidity of the current is increased.

These currents mentioned, naturally take along the fine impurities which may be dropped out of the licker-in along the surface of the plate 24 and what loose particles there may be. As their rapidity increases in the manner above mentioned, they form a comparatively swift current at the end of the plate 24 and here, a passage 30 1s proout much loss- 0 vided toallowmuch of the air to escape suddenly. This, however, is a narrow passage as it is bounded on the front by a deflector 31 which preferably is of metal and extends throughout the length of the cylinder. This has a front surface which slants off gradually and gently and a sharp point at the top to stop the impurities which have slowed down enough to drop oil the licker-in instead of going along around with it. This, therefore, obviously tends to separate out some of the foreign particles from the fiber and yet there is little tendency to take any fibers from the licker-in because of' the narrowness of the passage 30 and because there is a current of air passing circumferentially around it which helps to hold them in place. What fibers are dropped here are likely to be very short ones and perhaps some that are heavier than the bulk of them for one reason or another.

I have shown four of these deflectors all shaped in a similar way and all providing gently sloping and gradually widening passages for the dispersal of the air. These deflectors are slanted back on their upper ends and this allows the air to expand a little when passes over the sharp points on the top, to slow down and drop out foreign particles in the currents. In this way the fiber is cleared most effectively of impurities not ordinarily taken out by any 'kind of knives or bars usually employed. The provision of means for separating out impurities in two ways, so that one means a series of oblong staggere' openings or slots 34. These openings, ev en if the walls were flat, would present a series of straightsurfaces. transverse to the direction of motion of the air, against which the air would necessarily press to a certain extent and thus perform a further; caning operation with- V M material amount of fiber. Butin addition-to the fact that I have these straight surfaces or walls, I shape the metal plate 32 so that each of the surfaces 35, against-which the air beats in passing along the concave side of this plate,

is bent inwardly to'form a further abutment and a' more efficient means for stopping many impurities that are heavler than the fiber itself.

To allow the air currents to pass out gently, I bend'the opposite end surface 36 outwardly to give a gentle curve at the corner surface over which the air is discharged without forming whirls or vortexes in the air currents. This, therefore, provides for a gentle exit of the air as has been described in'connection with the deflectors 31 and at the same timeon the other side of each opening, positive means 35 is shown for stopping the impurities and insuring their deposit below.-

-I continue this principle to an extent not heretofore adopted as far as I am aware, by providing two concave sheet metal plates 38 and 39, concentric with the cylinder 13 of the card and extending practicall throughout the lower surface thereof. hese two plates may be connected by cross bars 40 adjustably mounted on brackets 41 at the two ends of the machine and securing between the two cross bars the outwardly bent ends of these sheets. They are practically like the sheet metal plate- 32, having staggered oblong slots or openings provided with the edge rojections 35 and 36. In this we an additional cleaning is provided al the way along/the lower surface of the main cylinder of the card without danger of loss of any material portion of the good or long fiber.

The result of this arrangement is that the fibers delivered by ithe maln cylinder of the card are very much cleaner thananything that has been produced heretofore and the product is increased by a material percentage, owing to the fact that provisions are made, all the way'from the table 10 to substantially the delivery point of the main cylinder, for preventing the discharge of fibers which are not weighted by impurities and that are long enough for effective use in spinnin Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of the invention inconsiderable detail, I am aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing fromv the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims, so long as the princi les herein set forth are retained. Therefhre I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a licker-in, of a concave plate extending along the licker-in, said plate being shaped to permit a current of air to be drawn in between it and the lickerin and to pass in a current alon the surface thereof and compress it urin its progress along said surface, and ade ector beyond said plate having a long surface nearly transverse to said current to receive the air currents and deflect some of them out from the licker-in along a gentle curve,

slightly to reduce the velocity 0 the air cur- I rent passing through it. I

2. In a machine of the character described,

the combination with a licker-in and adea fiector extending along the surface thereof and arranged to deflect air therefrom in a long and gentle curve, of a plate beyond said deflector and having a space between it and the deflector for air currents, said plate being shaped to permit a current of air to be drawn in between it and the licker-in, a series of deflectors beyondsaid plate, each arranged to present a long surface to receive the air currents and sloping away to provide a widening air channel, and a thin plate extending from the last of said deflectors around the balance of the licker-in, said plate being provided with a series of staggered oblon openings, each presenting a straight sur acetransverse to the direction of the air currents to deflect the air currents outwardly through the'openings. V

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a licker-in and a concave plate extending along the licker-in having a narrowing space between it and the ,licker-in for receiving and" compressing the air current, of a series of deflectors beyond said plate, each arranged to present a long sloping surface to receive the air currents and deflecting someof them out from the licker-in along a gentle curve, and a thin plate extending from the last of said doflectors around the balance of the licker-in to its side, said platebeing, provided with a series of staggered oblong transverse openings, each presenting a straight surface transverse to the direction-of the air currents to deflect the air currents outwardly through the openings, said surfaces being raised at their farther edges toward the licker-in for the purpose described, and having their opposite edges, over which the currents of air travel to the openings, bent outwardly on a gentle curve to assist the air currents in passing out without creating vortexes or other disturbances.

4. Ina machine of the character described, the combination with a licker-in and means for discharging the heavier and .coarser impurities during the travel of the fibers through the first part of theircourse on and with the surface of the licker-in, of

a sheet metal plate bent into-a form concentric with'the licker-in and extending from a point near the bottom thereof to a point to which'the licker-in delivers, said plate being provided throughout its surface with a series of staggered oblong openings each having two straight ed es transverse to the direction of rotation of the surface of the licker-in, the forward edge of each opening extending outward to form a entle curve, and the other edge extending lnwardly toward the licker-in to form a deflecting surface for the'air currents, whereby air currents are discharged through the openings with smaller impurities.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a licker-in, of a sheet metal plate bent into a form concentric with the licker-in provided with a series of staggered oblong openings each having two straight edges transverse to the direction of rotation of the surface. of the. lickerin, the forward edge of each opening extending outward to form a gentle curve, and the other edge extending inwardly toward the licker-in to form a deflecting surface for the air currents.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a licker-in, of a .metal plate in a form concentric with the licker-in provided with a series' of oblong openings each having two straight edges transverse to the direction of rotation .of the surface of the licker-in, the forward edge of each opening extending outward to form a gentle curve.

7. In a machine of the character described,

the combinationv with a liclrer-in, of a sheet metal late bent into a formconcentric with the lie er-in provided with-a series of staggered openings each having two straight edges transverse'to the direction of rotation of the surface of the licker-in, the edge of each opening extending inwardly toward the licker-in to form a deflecting surface for the air currents. n

8. In a machine of the character de rlbed,

the combination with a licker-in an means for discharging the heavier and coarser impurities during the travel of the fibers through-the first part of-itscourse on. and, with the surface of the'licker-in and. a sheet metal late concentric with'the licker-in and exten ng from a point near the bottom thereof to a pointto-whi'ch it delivers, said plate being provided throughout its surface with a series of staggered oblong openings each having twostraight edges transverse to the direction of rotation of the surface of the licker-in, the inner edge being bent outwardly to form a gentle curve, and the other edge being bent inwardly toward the lickerin to form a deflecting surface for the air currents, whereby air currents are discharged with smaller impurities, of a card cylinder having card clothing thereon in position to receive the fibers from the licker-in, and a concave sheet of metal extending from the first-named sheet of metal around substantially the entire bottom surface of said cylinder, said concave sheet being provided with openings throughout the principal part of its area of a form similar to the openings in the first-named sheet.

' 9. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a licker-in and a sheet metal plate concentric with the licker-in and extending from a point near the bottom thereof to a point to which it delivers, said plate being provided with a series of openings each having. two straight edges transverse to the direction of rotation of the surface of the licker-in, the inner edge being bent outwardly, and the other edge being bent inwardly toward the licker-in, of a card cylinder having card clothing-thereon in position to receive the fibers from the licker-in, and a concave sheet of metal extending from the'first named sheet of metal around the bottom surface of said cylinder, said concave sheet being provided with 0 enings throughout the principal part 0 its area of a form. similar to the openings in ,the first-named sheet.

10. In a carding machine, the combination with a card cylinder, ofa concentric sheet of metal on its lower side having transverse oblong slots with their advance edges bent out and their rear edges bent in, for the purpose described.

11. The combination with a card cylinder of a carding engine,- of two sheets of metal together covering most of the bottom thereof and partaking-of the shape of the cylinder, said sheets having their adjacent edges extending outwardly where they meet and means for clamping them together at said edges, said sheets being provided with oblong slots to permit of the discharge of fine impurities.

l2i' The combination with-a card cylinder of a carding engine, of two sheets of metal partaking of the shape ofthe cylinder, said sheets having their adjacent edges extending outwardly where they-meet and means for clamping them together at said edges, said sheet being provided with oblong slots to permit of the discharge of fine impurities, the straight edges of said slots being bent in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

MEINRAD F. THOMA. 

